Quincy Jones News

A&E Network presents the world television premiere of PAUL SIMON'S GRACELAND JOURNEY: UNDER AFRICAN SKIES, a documentary commemorating the 25th anniversary of the legendary Graceland album, tonight, May 25 at 10 PM ET/PT.

Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, is celebrating the 25th anniversary of Paul Simon's Graceland with the release of new commemorative editions of the enduring masterpiece which include the new Graceland documentary 'Under African Skies.' Graceland - 25th Anniversary editions will be available Tuesday, June 5.

A&E Network presents the world television premiere of PAUL SIMON'S GRACELAND JOURNEY: UNDER AFRICAN SKIES, a documentary commemorating the 25th anniversary of the legendary Graceland album, on Friday May 25 at 10 PM ET/PT.

Yesterday, May 17, disco icon Donna Summer passed away in Florida after a long battle with cancer at the age of 63. BroadwayWorld remebers Donna Summer below.

R&B vocalist Brian McKnight has spent the better part of the last two decades on top of the charts, churning out one romantic hit after another for the Mercury, Motown, Warner Bros. and E1 Music labels. The multi-instrumentalist and 16-time Grammy nominee will explore some relatively new musical territory as a frontman for The Duke Ellington Orchestra from tonight, May 16 through May 18 at the Blue Note. The Ellington Orchestra will perform without McKnight on May 19.

A young pianist of astonishing virtuosity and imagination, Cuban-born Alfredo Rodriguez calls up images of legendary jazz pianists like Keith Jarrett, Thelonious Monk, Art Tatum, Bill Evans, and his compatriot Chucho Valdes. Schooled in the rigorous classical conservatories of Havana, Rodriguez's riveting artistry is informed as much by Bach and Stravinsky as by his Cuban and jazz roots.

R&B vocalist Brian McKnight has spent the better part of the last two decades on top of the charts, churning out one romantic hit after another for the Mercury, Motown, Warner Bros. and E1 Music labels. The multi-instrumentalist and 16-time Grammy nominee will explore some relatively new musical territory as a frontman for The Duke Ellington Orchestra from May 16 - 18 at the Blue Note. The Ellington Orchestra will perform without McKnight on May 19.

UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock will kick-off the first annual International Jazz Day with a full day of events including live performances, Master Classes, and discussions featuring Marcus Miller, Barbara Hendricks, Hugh Masekela, Dee Dee Bridgewater, plus much more. Please visit http://unesco.org for complete details.

The Kennedy Center presents Come Fly Away in the Eisenhower Theater from April 18-29, 2012. Conceived, choreographed, and directed by Tony Award® winner and Kennedy Center Honoree Twyla Tharp (Movin' Out) and by special arrangement with the Frank Sinatra Family and Frank Sinatra Enterprises, Come Fly Away blends the legendary vocals of Frank Sinatra with a live on-stage big band and 14 of the world's finest dancers. The show's score combines classic and newly discovered vocal performances from the Sinatra archives, along with Sinatra's signature arrangements by Nelson Riddle, Billy May and Quincy Jones, among others, and brand new charts, for this fresh innovative musical. Press night will take place on Wednesday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m.

A young pianist of astonishing virtuosity and imagination, Cuban-born Alfredo Rodriguez calls up images of legendary jazz pianists like Keith Jarrett, Thelonious Monk, Art Tatum, Bill Evans, and his compatriot Chucho Valdes. Schooled in the rigorous classical conservatories of Havana, Rodriguez's riveting artistry is informed as much by Bach and Stravinsky as by his Cuban and jazz roots.

MTV announced today a new night of music based shows, with the greenlight of a brand-new, original weekly late-night music talk and performance show, 'MTV's HIP-HOP POV,' set to debut at Midnight following the premiere of 'Randy Jackson Presents AMERICA'S BEST DANCE CREW ' on an all-new night beginning Wednesday, April 11, at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

It was 30 years ago this year that "The Color Purple," Alice Walker's novel, was originally published. It won the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award for fiction; it went on to be adapted into a film by Steven Spielberg. As a Broadway production-originally produced by Oprah Winfrey and Quincy Jones- the musical ran for two years and was nominated for 11 Tony Awards. The national tour of that Broadway play, "The Color Purple" comes to Three Stages at Folsom College for three performances next month.

Jazz vocalist Sharon Clark returns to the Metropolitan Room for one-night-only in "Sunday in New York," her second trip to the city in recent weeks, on Sunday April 1 at 9:30pm. Following her New York debut in February, the DC-based Clark settles in for the night with a brand new show.

The 25th anniversary of Graceland, Paul Simon's groundbreaking album that continues to influence and inspire generations, will be commemorated with musical and film celebrations stretching into the summer. Following its Sundance Film Festival premiere, the Joe Berlinger-directed documentary 'Under African Skies,' chronicling the creation and lasting influence of Graceland, will have its US television premiere on A & E this spring.

The 25th anniversary of Graceland, Paul Simon's groundbreaking album that continues to influence and inspire generations, will be commemorated with musical and film celebrations stretching into the summer.

The new Broadway musical, COME FLY AWAY, conceived, choreographed, and directed by Tony Award-winner Twyla Tharp and by special arrangement with the Frank Sinatra Family and Frank Sinatra Enterprises, will open at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County on March 20, 2012.

Texas Performing Arts celebrates the Butler School of Music's annual Longhorn Jazz Festival with a performance from the UT Jazz Orchestra joined by Grammy Award-winning bassist and composer John Clayton in the intimate and acoustically rich Bates Recital Hall.

Jazz vocalist Sharon Clark returns to the Metropolitan Room for one-night-only in "Sunday in New York," her second trip to the city in recent weeks, on Sunday April 1 at 9:30pm. Following her New York debut in February, the DC-based Clark settles in for the night with a brand new show.

The Kennedy Center presents Come Fly Away in the Eisenhower Theater from April 18-29, 2012. Conceived, choreographed, and directed by Tony Award® winner and Kennedy Center Honoree Twyla Tharp (Movin' Out) and by special arrangement with the Frank Sinatra Family and Frank Sinatra Enterprises, Come Fly Away blends the legendary vocals of Frank Sinatra with a live on-stage big band and 14 of the world's finest dancers. The show's score combines classic and newly discovered vocal performances from the Sinatra archives, along with Sinatra's signature arrangements by Nelson Riddle, Billy May and Quincy Jones, among others, and brand new charts, for this fresh innovative musical. Press night will take place on Wednesday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m.

Broadway Theatre Project (BTP), which has spent the past two decades helping thousands of young, aspiring actors, singers and dancers to realize their potential in the performing arts, gets a taste of another vehicle with a similar purpose, FOX's American Idol, when the television series' Associate Musical Director, Michael Orland, and Vocal Coach, Peisha McPhee, visit the Tampa-based summer musical theatre intensive this summer.